July 19, 2016

6 Summer Beauty Essentials

Today's blog post is dedicated to some of the gorgeous new beauty additions that I made in time for the summer. Only my favourites have made the cut - and I have to say, I've discovered some real gems. Whether you're into natural and cruelty-free beauty products or you're looking for some easy-to-wear everyday makeup, hopefully there will be something to pique your interest.

As the temperature rises there becomes an every increasing need for an effective and pleasantly scented deodorant. For a long time now, I've generally been relying on either an aluminium-free deodorant from Sanex or a natural deodorant powder/bar from Lush. However, as I find with most deodorants, after a while you need to shake things up a bit if you want to get the most effective results.

I discovered The Natural Deodorant Co. during a thorough browse of the (natural and cruelty free) deodorants available on Naturisimo. I was initially drawn in by the promise of a tangerine scents as I find orange fragrances particularly summer-appropriate, but I was also fascinated by the idea of a deodorant cream. The texture is really thick with a dry, powdery finish. Once you massage it into the skin it absorbs really quickly, so your skin is left completely dry and gently scented. It's a lot easier to use than Lush's deodorant bars - which I generally found crumbled easily and were very messy to use - and it's a lot gentler on sensitive skin than aerosol deodorants.

Overall, I'm really happy that I've invested in this Deodorant Cream - not only is it really pleasant to use but I have found it effective for general everyday use. I always enjoy finding alternatives for everyday essentials, and this one is a great option for anyone with sensitive skin or for those looking to try an aluminium-free, natural alternative.

I bought this beautiful eau de toilette earlier in the year - so this isn't technically a "new" addition - but it has only recently become an everyday staple. I've always been drawn to warm, fruity scents during the summer (think along the lines of Roger and Gallet's Fleur de Figuier range or Pacifica's Tuscan Blood Orange) but this Jo Malone fragrance offers something a lot more sophisticated. It's a really light and refreshing citrus scent, but with an unusual edge as it's definitely unlike anything that I've owned before. If you're looking for something delicate with a je ne sais quoi vibe then I'd highly recommend Jo Malone's Earl Grey and Cucumber - especially as it has some serious staying power!

I've been using Balance Me's original Wonder Eye Cream for nearly a year and a half and it's safe to say that I think it's a tremendous product. Roughly eighteen months ago I had a skin scan (you can read about that in this blog post) and I was shown on a monitor just how dehydrated my eye area truly was. In the long term, this sort of dehydration is what causes fine lines to develop, and it's eventually what turns them into full blown wrinkles. Seeing my dehydrated skin on a screen was what really, finally, encouraged me to start using eye cream. And just a few months later, at a second scan, I was shown just how much of a difference Balance Me's Wonder Eye Cream had made to my skin.

Skip forward a year and I'm still routinely reaching for the product, or at least I was until I finally ran out of it - I must have gotten through about four tubes in total. It was at this point that I started considering trying something new, and that's when I realised that Balance Me had released this new tinted version. Balance Me's Tinted Wonder Eye Cream contains a lot of the same ingredients as the original version, with the addition of a sheer tinted makeup element that adds a concealing and brightening element. The shade of the product is what I'd call light/medium - it isn't quite as fair as my natural skin tone, and it's ever so slightly more orange. However, it's sheer consistency means that it doesn't look jarring or out of place, even when I don't follow up with makeup. It gives very light coverage but does add a natural-looking brightness to my complexion.

Those with a busy, hurried lifestyle might well enjoy the benefits of it's two-in-one offering. And for warm summer days when I tend to skip makeup (especially when I'm on holiday) then these sorts of skincare/makeup crossovers are fantastic to have to hand. So, despite not necessarily beating the Original Wonder Eye Cream from my top spot, I think that this is a great addition to Balance Me's skincare line-up and if you like the sound of it then I would recommend giving it a try.

I've been using Balance Me's Instant Lift Pore Minimiser for a couple of months now, and it's really lived up to my expectations. I apply it to moisturised skin and find that it instantly blurs the enlarged pores across the bridge of my nose and on my chin. It has quite a thick consistency, so you have to really massage it into your skin to get the product to go very far - and I do typically end up using more of this product than I do with other similar face primers. However, I'm always really, really happy with the end result. My skin is left looking much smoother, and I imagine that if I had any fine wrinkles then this would work really well at minimising their appearance.

I like to use products like these on days when I don't wear makeup, but I've also started using this as my everyday makeup primer and I find that it sits really well underneath foundation. On days when I have to apply my makeup particularly early in the morning, I find that using it as a primer really helps to increase the longevity of my foundation. Although it doesn't really help with oil production (so my t-zone can get a little shiny) it does a great job of stopping my makeup from disappearing or clinging to the drier patches of my skin. Overall, I think that if you struggle with visible pores - which I know from my experience can be a real cause of insecurity - then this is really effective product, and I would definitely repurchase it for this purpose. The way that it helps my makeup to stay put for longer is just a happy benefit!

I'd had my eye on Illamasqua's cream blush in the shade Zygomatic for a long time before I bought it, and I have to say that it hasn't disappointed me! I'm already a big fan of the thin, easy-to-blend texture of Illamasqua's cream blushes, and in this natural, dusky-rose shade it offers a really pretty flush of colour. When it comes to everyday, natural-looking makeup this blush is my ideal shade - not only does it brighten my complexion without leaving me looking too 'done', but it also helps to add a lot of shape to my face. I typically wear this over the top of Balance Me's Pore Minimiser (which I like to use as a makeup primer) and a light layer of foundation or tinted moisturiser, and I find that even in England's warmer spring/summer weather the blush wears really well throughout the day. All in all, this was a fantastic purchase that I'm still really happy about and I'd definitely recommend the shade to anyone with a fair/light complexion - and if you have a deeper complexion, then Illamasqua's other cream blush shades are also really nice!

Total Effects Instant Lip Pumper*- £24.99

A long time ago I wrote a blog post about glossy lips, about how despite the high maintenance there's something incredibly glamorous about wearing lip gloss. Since that post I've had a love-hate relationship with glossy lips, but this summer I discovered a new product from Total Effects which really got me back into the trend. Total Effect's Instant Lip Plumper applies and looks like a super shiny lip gloss, however, it also boasts serious lip-plumping potential. It's supposed to offer 20% fuller lips in just two minutes, with lip lines becoming visibly reduced. I haven't been able to exactly measure its lip plumping abilities, but it really does leave my lips looking smoother and fuller. Oh, and if you're worried about those old-fashioned "bee-sting" style lip plumpers - well, this is nothing like those. There's no pain on application, it just applies like a gloss. For me, it offers two benefits in one; it improves the overall appearance of my lips and it can be worn as a lip gloss. It's definitely on the pricey side, but for anyone who has concerns about their lip lines and who enjoys wearing gloss, then this is a great option for you.

Have you tried any of the products featured in today's blog post?What are some of your summer beauty essentials?